Cant
by Glinda
Summary: The TARDIS remembers everything, words spoken in hate and in love. 9Rose


**9/Rose...Spoilers for POTWs and slight reference to the old series Dalek episodes...**

EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!

They scream it unrelentingly though between the TARDIS door and the shield surrounding it they cannot possibly reach them. He stands so close to it leaning his head on it. Rose longs to go to him. To hold him. To make it all go away. Knows that it won't be enough. Not till they're gone. All gone. Forever. She remembers that horrible moment when she thought the Daleks were going to kill them. Remembers the horrible way they speak. The way they chant things so repetitively and insistently.

PREDICT! PREDICT! PREDICT!

It makes her blood run cold. She remembers the look on Jack's face. The confusion. The war that the Doctor speaks so rarely of may be a legend to Jack but he knew of the Daleks. Before now she'd only seen one of them in action. The way Jack speaks of them armies of them this size were once common place.

DO NOT INTERRUPT! DO NOT INTERRUPT! DO NOT INTERRUPT!

He looks broken now. Yet they fear him. When he yells they actually physically recoil from him. Her heart breaks for him. What has he done? How many terrible choices did he have to make to make them react like this to him and him to them?

DO NOT BLASPHEME! DO NOT BLASPHEME! DO NOT BLASPHEME!

Rose remembers the horror 'her' Dalek felt when it was changed by absorbing her DNA. It would rather die than become something other than Dalek. But to see that horror played out on such a scale, to realise the extent of their hatred for all other races, species. Anything different. The Emperor Dalek's been playing god. It's ethnic cleansing on an unimaginable scale. It's fascism gone mad.

WORSHIP HIM! WORSHIP HIM! WORSHIP HIM!

Rose's inescapably reminded of old films that she watched in GCSE History. Of Nazi party rallies, Nuremberg and the like, the adoring cries of 'Heil Hitler' and her blood runs cold. But it's worse than that. The Dalek's aren't capable of affection, of adoration or even pity. All they know is hate. They hate everything that is not like them. And they hate themselves for it. It's all they know how to be. All they know is destroying others. She knows what they're going to do. They're going to destroy Earth so that he'll destroy them. They want oblivion but they want to make him suffer like they do. They don't realise that he already does.

In that moment she knows. Watching his silent suffering that she'll do anything. Sacrifice everything. Earth, the people on the Gamestation, herself, anything to destroy the Daleks. For him, with him. So when Rose looks into the heart of the TARDIS and the TARDIS looks into her, the ship knows it made the right choice of sending him back to her. It does what she asks; it sends her back to him. In those long moments as they travel forward thousands of years it shows her everything that the Daleks have done.

DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY! DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY! DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY! DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY! DALEKS CONQUER AND DESTROY!

They share that loathing for the Daleks. And the love for him. He's scared of her, for her and so are the Daleks. The Emperor recognises the power and fears it. Calls her abomination. It knew there was a power greater than themselves at work. Give equal power to evil and innocence and innocence will always be stronger. Because it knows pity and compassion. It will save as it destroys. Heal as it harms. Rose feels the TARDIS's joy at being unbound, finally. The power of a star, alone, cold, burning and pure. Rejoicing in for this short time not being quite as alone. Sharing, showing the world the power she contains. The things she could but will never do because it's not her place. But she will save this one. The Daleks caused the end of her people and his. They are the last. The Dalek's time is over. She will save the people of this child who has given so much to them both, given herself so freely, become part of her and by doing so released her righteous vengeance. She feels the child's pity and the knowledge of the Daleks' hatred and its cause. Then it is pity not vengeance that motivates her, purifying what they do. She must not sacrifice the child. But she needs his help. So she lets go of part of the child. So he can save them both. Return them both to their rightful place in the universe. But the child won't let go. She wants to save everyone. Just like he does. So he saves the child. Returns the bound souls to their rightful places. Everything is in its right place again. Except one. The child saved the other. He was forgotten in the chaos. The Doctor is changing, but the ship will remember. The other was gentle with her. Once the Doctor is himself again she will remind them.


End file.
